Weekly Junior Wrap: Olympiques, 67’s Struggle as November Opens
It was a rough week for the local Major Junior clubs as both the Gatineau Olympiques and the Ottawa 67’s had a hard time keeping the puck out of their own net. Since my last weekly wrap-up, the teams went a combined 1-3-2, with the 67’s going 1-2-1 and the Olympiques going 0-1-1.
Gatineau couldn’t handle Michael McNamee last Wednesday as his first period natural hat trick was all the Quebec Remparts needed in their 4-1 defeat of the Olympiques. Adam Erne chipped in three assists and Mikhail Grigorenko added the final marker in the third for the Remparts. Adam Janosik‘s 2nd period power play marker from Sens’ prospect Jean Gabriel Pageau and Christian Ouellet was all the offense the home squad could muster.
It was a wild game Friday night as the Olympiques hosted the PEI Rocket. In a game that featured 4 lead changes and was tied on 3 other occasions, when the dust settled the Rocket came away with a 7-6 OT victory. Pageau continued his stellar play, netting a hat trick and adding an assist in the losing effort. Much like their local OHL counterparts, the Olympiques had a tough time holding the lead. Pageau’s third goal if the game gave the home squad a 6-4 lead almost 4 minutes into the third period, but PEI scored twice in the final frame and then won it 57 seconds into OT.
‘PIQUES NOTES
- Jean Gabriel Pageau represented the QMJHL in the Subway Superseries vs. Russia. The “Q” lost the first game 2-0 and the second game was played Wednesday night.
- The Olympiques hit the road Friday and Saturday night this week (Nov 11 & 12) as they swing through Val D’Or and Rouyn-Noranda. Both are divisional games and very important for placing as the season goes along. Val D’Or is 3 points ahead of Gatineau, but have played 4 more games than have the Olympiques.
The Ottawa 67’s had a disappointing week, kicking it off with a devastating loss to the Belleville Bulls. It wasn’t so much that they lost the game, but the fact that they had a 4-0 lead in the first period and lost 6-5 in overtime that hurt. Friday there was some measure of restoring their egos as they defeated the defending OHL Champion Erie Otters 5-1 at home. The struggle to score with the man advantage haunted them as they lost a 3-2 decision to the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds on Sunday afternoon. Then, on Monday, Petr Mrazek rested for the game as the Kingston Frontenacs put 7 past backup Karsten Pankhurst en route to a 7-4 victory in front of 9,000 screaming kids in the Annual school-day game.
Normally when you score 16 goals in a 4 game period, you would expect to come away with more than 4 points. However, allowing 17 in the same period doesn’t bode well, and the 67’s have had problems playing in their own end.
67’s NOTES
- Senators’ prospect Shane Prince was named the OHL player of the week last Monday, as he netted 7 assists. Another Sens prospect, Peterborough’s Matt Puempel was the player of the week this past week.
- Puempel, along with 67’s players Tyler Toffoli (named OHL Captain), Tyler Graovac, Sean Monahan and Cody Ceci will be playing in the first game of the OHL-Russia segment of the Subway Superseries, played in Ottawa on Thursday night.
- The 67’s missed a prime chance to get some breathing room in the Eastern Conference.
- Ottawa has a 3 in 3 weekend, playing at home Friday against the Saginaw Spirit, heading to Oshawa Saturday and Brampton Sunday. For the 4 67’s playing in Thursday’s game against the Russians, it will be a long weekend with 4 games in 4 days.
Check back next week for a review on what will hopefully be a better week for the Olympiques and the 67’s.
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